Introduction
There’s non-stop chatter about how Millennials differ from previous generations. As America’s largest generation, Millennials are an intriguing audience for any business. However, learning how to create video content for millennials demands deep insights into their interests and how they consume the content.
Who are these Millennials?
First things first let’s figure out who these Millennials are. Generation Y or Millennials are people born from 1981 to 1996. Essentially, all people who are in their mid-20s to late-30s are Millennials. This demographic group’s childhood fell during a huge technological boom, and they graduated from universities/colleges around the economic crisis in 2008. It reshaped the generation immensely, affecting how video content and millennials communicate.
In this article, you’ll discover what video content works best with Millennials, the main differences of this generation, and tips on how to create video content for Millennials 🤩.
Summary:
- Millenials and video markerting
- Using video content to attract millennials: choosing the right format
- How is the Millennial Generation Different from Other Generations?
- 2024 Best Practices in Creating Engaging Video Content for Millennials
- Distribution Channels to Market to Millennials
- Our Successful Projects
- Summary
Millenials and video markerting
Gen Y and video content is an exciting topic. With 54% of Millennials discovering new products most often on YouTube (HubSpot), it’s no wonder that video marketing for millennials has become highly relevant.
Not only does it capture their attention, but it also influences their purchase decisions. 85% of Millennials are more likely to buy a product after watching a video.
This makes video content creation for Gen Y an incredibly effective strategy to engage and sway millennial audiences.
Examples of successful video marketing campaigns that targeted millennials
Several successful video marketing campaigns have targeted millennials, achieving remarkable results.
One such example is the “Dollar Shave Club” campaign, which used a humorous and engaging video to disrupt the shaving industry, resulting in millions of views and a substantial increase in sales.
Another standout campaign is “Nike’s Dream Crazier,” which addressed societal challenges faced by women in sports, resonating deeply with millennial audiences and garnering widespread recognition.
Using video content to attract millennials: choosing the right format
It’s not a secret that Millennials prefer to view content on their smartphones rather than on their TVs. So if you want to catch Millennials’ attention, you need to create videos in a smartphone aspect ratio.
Smartphones are the basis for working with video content for Millennials. Here are 6 more pieces of advice on video content types that resonate with Millennials.
💥 How-to Videos
Millennials like to watch videos that teach them new things. In 2017, 70% of millennials watched YouTube to learn how to do something new or learn more about a passion.
Whether that’s a video that helps them laugh, deal with a problem or gain a new skill, Millennials prefer a video that provides help. So, while working with Millennials your video should provide value. Check out the how-to video example.
Millennials don’t like to be sold to. They like to feel as if they’re being helped 🙌
Wondering how to choose a video production company? Check the article.
💥 Streaming Video Services
Millennials spend approximately 1.5 hours a day watching TV online and on streaming services. They have almost stopped watching traditional TV completely. However, those small number who do watch are more likely to stay on one channel rather than switching during commercial breaks.
👉 Streaming services are popular among Millennials for several reasons:
- Greater variety of content
- Fast access to favorite content
- No useless commercials
EXPLORE OUR ARTICLES:
🥕 The most comprehensive guide on video production costs
💥 Product Demo Videos
Millennials prefer watching videos for product validation purposes. They want reassurance that the product works exactly the way it’s advertised. At this point, you should consider product demo videos as the source of trust for your potential customers. It also helps confirm that this purchase is right for them. Check the example below:
💥 Commercial Videos
Videos play a crucial role in Millennials’ purchase decisions on a different stage of the sales funnel.
Before buying the product, Millenials spend time searching for any information about the product. Promo and e-learning videos are good to use at the first stage to attract potential clients.
The next stage is interest. This is the time when people look for a detailed description of your product or service. It’s good to use explainer or corporate videos to satisfy their interest.
We’ve approached the decision time — this where social proof comes to the rescue. Using tutorials and testimonials is critical here as it builds trust.
The last stage is loyalty. Your target audience is already aware of you and now it is time to give the content that keeps them engaged with your brand and your product.
👉 Here are some statistics that show how important videos are for Millennials:
- 23% of Millennials use video sites to research products and services.
- 85% of Millennials go on to buy products after watching videos.
- 70% of Millennials use videos to make post-purchase buying decisions.
💥 User-Generated Video
Millennials stand for keeping things simple, authentic, and honest. User-generated content is one of the ways of working with video for Millennials. Instead of making high-budget, professionally produced videos go for user-generated content. It builds a tight connection to your brand,and allows you to leverage content created by real customers or fans when working with millennials video
💥 Short-Form Videos
The sweet spot for reaching Millennials is a 30 to 60-second video. At the same time, the average Gen Y member has an online attention span of 12 seconds, so you have this time to capture their attention and keep it.
It doesn’t mean that working with millennial video demands only short-form videos. Everything depends on the platform. For example, on Instagram, you have 30 seconds and on Facebook, it’s a full minute.
👉 Check out the short-form video example below:
How is the Millennial Generation Different from Other Generations?
Now that you’ve learned what type of video resonates with Millennials, it’s time to explore how that happened. Millennials are a completely different breed of consumer compared to other generations. Let’s take a look at key events that draw the line of difference.
Born with Smartphones on Their Hands
Generation Y is the first generation deeply involved in digital technology. First, smartphones and the Internet have surrounded them since childhood and became an integral part of their lives.
More than 80% said they sleep with their smartphones. Quite impressive, isn’t it? A high degree of dependence on mobile devices characterizes Generation Y video content behavior, and it’s a call to action for brands. If you want to promote your product, go digital.
World Wide Web Generation
With the rise of smartphones, thealso rose in prominence. Almost all Millennials now say they use the Internet, and 19% are smartphone-only internet users. At the same time, only 85% of Boomers use the Internet, compared with just 62% of Silents.
A 2018 survey by Pew Research Center found that younger internet users say the internet has a positive impact on society: 73% of online Millennials said the Internet has been mostly a good thing for society, compared with 63% of users in the Silent Generation.
Stand for Social Justice
Millennials are enormous supporters of social justice issues. They prefer to donate to a good cause, work for a company that positively impacts and buy brands that focus on the triple bottom line — people, planet, and profit.
👉 Here are the examples, you may check:
Passed the 2008 Financial Crisis
Having avocado toast and filter coffee for breakfast wasn’t a default thing for Millennials. During the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, half of the recent graduates were unable to find work. A Pew study found that Millennials with a college degree and a full-time job were earning by 2018 roughly what Gen Xers were making in 2001.
2024 Best Practices in Creating Engaging Video Content for Millennials
Let’s dive into the social media landscape and explore the TOP-3 distribution channels to use when creating an engaging video for the Millennial generation. The results are based on the number of purchases they made on each platform:
- Facebook: 63.5 million
- Instagram: 41.0 million
- TikTok: 23.7 million
Each platform offers unique opportunities to connect with Millennials, so it’s crucial to tailor your marketing strategy accordingly. Remember, staying informed about the latest trends and insights will help you navigate the ever-evolving social media landscape successfully.
1️⃣ Adopt a Mobile Format
As we found, nobody is more connected to mobile phones than Millennials. If they can’t find you on mobile, you don’t exist. Think about converting to mobile format if you haven’t done it already. If you’re planning a marketing strategy, do it with mobile users in mind. From our experience, better to use square format on Facebook and Instagram. YouTube has a 16:9 aspect ratio, but it’s optional.
2️⃣ Support a Social Cause
If your brand cares for any social issue and hasn’t said it yet, use video to attract a millennial audience and show what you stand for. Millennials support brands that share their values and will support you in turn. So be creative in telling how you make a positive social impact.
👉 Take a look at the example below:
3️⃣ Use Social Media
Okay, now you’re on mobile and support social issues, what else? Enter social media platforms. On average, Millennials spend 6 hours per week on social media. They are highly active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest.
Note that using video marketing to attract millennials isn’t only about placing your brand on social media. It’s about creating content that triggers engagement. So, do your best to find the insights.
👉 Check out some of our works for inspiration:
4️⃣ Deliver Value First
There is so much content available online these days, and it’s easy to fall victim to “scroll blindness”. To avoid this, you should deliver value first. Millennials are ready to spend time and money on high-quality content that genuinely brings value to their life.
Using video content to attract millennials and establishing yourself as a knowledgeable and trustworthy source in your industry could be a way to success.
Distribution Channels to Market to Millennials
Social media, company websites, and digital platforms are great places to promote your video. As we found, Millennials are more likely to see and purchase your product on social media.
👉 Here are TOP-5 distribution channels to market to Millennials, based on the number of purchases they made on each platform:
- Facebook: 58%
- Instagram: 55%
- YouTube: 51%
- Pinterest: 29%
- Twitter: 17%
This follows that producing informative marketing videos that appeal to a cause Millennials care about, and are posted on leading social media platforms is a solid strategy for increasing engagement in this generation.
EXPLORE OUR CASE STUDIES:
🥕 Boosting sales for AUKA app with our minimalistic video
🥕 Stylish video for promoting DreamCo agency
🥕 Increasing landing page conversions with our video for Scrathpay startup
Our Successful Projects
At Blue Carrot, we strive to create custom whiteboard animation for any business purpose and any target audience. We know how to work with video for Millennials, what video tools to use, and how to keep their attention with video content. Take a look at some of our work!
Handle – is a platform that connects all your social networks in one place so that people can reach you. It was an explainer video where we:
- Made the video interactive and dynamic
- Showed how the product works in a simple way
- Highlighted the value of the product
Want to learn more about the explainer video cost? Check out our article.
👉 https://bluecarrot.io/video/handle-animated-explainer-video-case-study/
Our second case – ONFO
It’s a universal currency that sets you free from the limits of banks and traditional currency. It was a pleasure to work on such a project, and we aimed to:
- Create a long-form video that reached 100K views organically in 3 days on Facebook
- Make a creative storytelling line
- Design eye-catching animations
👉 https://bluecarrot.io/video/onfo-revolution-case-study/
Summary
Millennials are the largest generation in the U.S. They grew up during the technological boom and can’t imagine their life without smartphones, the Internet, and a sense of purpose. Millennials challenge the video marketing strategy of brands who need to know how to create video to capture Millennials’ attention.
First, you need to step back and check whether your brand is relevant for Millenials. Second, deeply review your purpose. Third, go digital and talk about the value you bring to the end-user and a planet overall.
As an experienced animated explainer video company, we are eager to help you customize your video content marketing for Millennial generation. Since 2014, we help brands create video animations for different purposes. We’re experts in creating custom whiteboard videos that engage your target audience, drive results, and deliver value.
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